On Thursday morning, May 17, San Gorgonio Memorial Hospital and several law enforcement agencies participated in a Riverside County-wide Active Shooter Exercise, designed to train staff on how to respond to a real emergency situation.

San Gorgonio Memorial Hospital worked with the Banning Police Department, the Beaumont Police Department, California Highway Patrol, and the County of Riverside Department of Public Health to practice policies and procedures in the event that the hospital is affected by an active shooter.

The most effective way for hospital Associates to learn how to respond to an incident like this is to conduct simulated exercises. San Gorgonio Memorial Hospital Associates are trained to recognize the sound of gunshots and react when gunshots are heard or witnessed by doing the following: evacuating, sheltering in place, calling 911, reacting appropriately when law enforcement arrives, and adopting a survival mind-set.

"Just having a drill is a success," said Pat Brown, Chief Nursing Officer, and the Incident Commander for the exercise.

This is the second year in a row that San Gorgonio Memorial Hospital has held a Code Silver drill. This year, the active shooter was played by an active duty military participant. His "hostage" was played by one of our business office Associates. By playing out the scenario, hospital Directors and law enforcement agencies were able to observe and evaluate how hospital Associates react to a Code Silver.

"The role playing is serious," said Ramon Leon from the County of Riverside Public Health Department. "It's very important. It's not a game."

The Code Silver/Active Shooter exercise was planned with guidance from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Homeland Security Exercise and Evaluation Program (HSEEP).